NBA Draft: LiAngelo Ball stressed he’s open to all possibilities on playing future

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LiAngelo Ball of Vytautas Prienai in action during the match between Vytautas Prienai and Zalgiris Kauno on January 9, 2018 in Prienai, Lithuania. (Photo by Alius Koroliovas/Getty Images)

BC Prienu Vytautas’s LiAngelo Ball in action during the Big Baller Brand Challenge friendly tournament match between BC Prienu Vytautas and BC Zalgiris-2 at the BC Prienai-Birstonas Vytautas arena, in Prienai, Lithuania, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018. LiAngelo Ball and LaMelo Ball, sons of former basketball player LaVar Ball, have signed a one-year contract and play their first match for Lithuanian professional basketball club Prienu Vytautas. (AP Photo/Liusjenas Kulbis)

PRIENAI, LITHUANIA – JANUARY 09: LiAngelo Ball of Vytautas Prienai in action during the match between Vytautas Prienai and Zalgiris Kauno on January 9, 2018 in Prienai, Lithuania. (Photo by Alius Koroliovas/Getty Images)

LiAngelo Ball and Cody Riley (L) of the UCLA Men’s Baskeball team speak to the media during a press conference at Pauley Pavilion on November 15, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Ball, Riley and Jalen Hill have been suspended from the team after allegedly shoplifting while on a school trip to China. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)

LiAngelo Ball of Vytautas Prienai in action during the match between Vytautas Prienai and Zalgiris Kauno on January 9, 2018 in Prienai, Lithuania. (Photo by Alius Koroliovas/Getty Images)

LiAngelo Ball of Vytautas Prienai in action during the match between Vytautas Prienai and Zalgiris Kauno on January 9, 2018 in Prienai, Lithuania. (Photo by Alius Koroliovas/Getty Images)

LiAngelo Ball, brother of potential draft pick Lonzo Ball, looks on before the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Chino Hill High School basketball stars brothers LiAngelo Ball, left, and LaMelo at their home in Chino HIlls, CA on Wednesday, February 22, 2017. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Chino Hills’ LiAngelo Ball (#3), drives against Mater Dei, during the first half of Friday night’s CIF-SS Open Division semi-finals boys basketball game at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, Ca., February 24, 2017. (Photo by John Valenzuela/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 29: LiAngelo Ball #2 walks on the court during the Los Angeles Lakers 2018 NBA Pre-Draft Workout on May 29, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 29: Lonzo Ball #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers greets his brother LiAngelo Ball #2 after he completed his NBA Pre-Draft Workout with the Los Angeles Lakers on May 29, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 29: LiAngelo Ball #2 stands on the court as he listens to head coach Luke Walton of the Los Angeles Lakers during the Los Angeles Lakers 2018 NBA Pre-Draft Workout on May 29, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

He touted how he represents a so-called “3-and-D” player that can hit outside shots and defend with consistency. He downplayed his dad’s outspokenness and stressed that does not reflect his own views. He dismissed his shoplifting incident in China during his short time at UCLA, calling it a “closed chapter” that NBA teams apparently have not raised.

But when it comes to Ball actually being selected in the NBA draft on June 21? Ball still maintained confidence, while conceding the ball is not in his court.

“I don’t know what teams are looking at me right now,” Ball said on Friday after working out with the Warriors at their practice facility. “But I’m looking forward to the draft and seeing what lies ahead of me.”

It appears unlikely the Warriors would select Ball with their No. 28 pick.

Most NBA mock drafts do not project Ball to go selected. The Warriors have said they want to play their No. 28 selection significant rotation minutes in the 2018-20 season. And the Warriors are mulling various options possibly to upgrade their wing or center positions. The Warriors’ private pre-draft workout on Friday, which consisted of agility and shooting drills, also included Bucknell center Nana Foulland, West Virginia shooting guard Daxter Miles Jr., University of Chicago at Ill. Center Tai Odaise, Baylor forward Nuni Omot and Michigan forward Duncan Robinson.

So why would the Warriors host a workout for Ball? They want to perform due diligence. They have bought late draft picks, including the 38th selection in consecutive years that secured Patrick McCaw (2016) and Jordan Bell (2017). They also will field a summer-league roster in Sacramento (July 2-5) and Las Vegas (July 6-17).

“I feel pretty good going into the draft. I feel like I’m going to get drafted,” Ball said. “I feel like I can produce for a team. But if I don’t, I’ll go to the G-League, be a free agent or join a summer-league team.”

Ball worked out with the Los Angeles Lakers last month, a natural starting point considering they drafted his brother, Lonzo, at No. 2 overall last year. Ball also plans to work out with the Los Angeles Clippers at an undetermined date, and has also interviewed with Phoenix and Oklahoma City. Ball previously planned to work out with the Warriors on June 10 before rescheduling it for Friday.

During that time, Lonzo stressed the importance to his younger brother about making shots, showing effort and keeping endurance nearly a year after having conditioning issues during his first workout with the Lakers. LiAngelo has also run hills and lifted weights near his family’s residence in Chino Hills, scrimmaged in Los Angeles, improved his ball handling and showed off his outside shooting. At least strong enough that Omot complimented Ball for his accuracy in Friday’s workout.

“I feel like I’m ready. I feel like I’m training for this since a young age,” said the 19-year-old Ball. “It’s something I always wanted to do. When the times comes, I’ll be ready for it.”

Although he called the situation a “learning experience,” Ball downplayed getting arrested along with former UCLA teammates Cody Riley and Jalen Hill for shoplifting sunglasses during the team’s preseason trip to Hangzhou, China. Ball added teams have not inquired much about the incident, either.

“That’s a closed chapter in my book. I don’t get too much slack on that,” Ball said. “I’m just looking forward to the draft. I just keep moving forward.”

Ball sounded just as unconcerned about his father, LaVar, being outspoken about his children. Though the Lakers initially considered LaVar’s public comment as marketing ploys for his so-called “Big Baller Brand,” he later put the team in a precarious position when he critiqued Lonzo’s teammates and Lakers coach Luke Walton. Warriors coach Steve Kerr, a close friend of Walton, publicly critiqued LaVar’s outspokenness and likened him to a “Kardashian of the NBA.”

“I get questions about my dad. But like I tell everybody, that’s him,” LiAngelo said of LaVar, who was not at his son’s workout. “If you want to talk to him about what he says, you could. It don’t really bother me. I’m my own dude.”

Ball also argued he became his own man partly because he played one year professional overseas instead of in college. On Dec. 4, Ball withdrew from UCLA to play for Vyautas Prienu, a professional team in Lithuania. There, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Ball averaged 12.6 points while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from 3-point range in 21.2 minutes through 14 games.

Would Ball have benefitted if he stayed at UCLA?

“I think it wouldn’t have been where I’m at right now. Going overseas helped me more, in my opinion,” Ball said. “I didn’t get the type of playing time that I thought I would get [at UCLA]. When I went overseas, I was able to develop better.”

Ball listed off various examples, including how he learned how to adapt playing against older and more physical players, playing off of screens and improving his shooting. More importantly, Ball argued the overseas experience forced him to prioritize basketball more than had he stayed with the Bruins.

“It’s just how serious the game is out there. If you’re not in top peak, they could fire you the next day. They won’t even let you know. They’ll just tell you that you’re fired,” Ball said. “Every game and every practice, you have to come out and play your hardest like it’s your last game. I think I just picked up going into the game more focused. It’s a lifestyle.”

Ball will soon find out if he can carry that lifestyle with the NBA as either a drafted rookie, G-League player or summer-league invitee.